“Europeans drink their beer warm.”

How many times have you heard that statement? How many time have you uttered it? This is one of those misconceptions that drives some of the more…strident beer geeks crazy.

Some ale styles need a higher serving temperature to release all their flavors. By contrast, lagers taste better when served a little colder. American light lagers can be chilled to near freezing if you want…it’s not going to make much difference.

Realbeer.com has a brief guide to proper serving temperatures. Believe me, it makes a difference.